Alley Chat
by AubreyAnne
Summary: Chat Noir has been turned down by his Lady. Will he be able to pull his feelings together and move on? Perhaps with some help from his Princess, he will find his happily ever after.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh Chat… I like someone else."

The words echoed around them into the stagnant night air. Chat could simultaneously feel a rock plummet into his stomach and a tight ball form around his throat. No- he was not going to cry- he was not going to lose it here. So his Lady liked someone else; it's not the end of the world. He wasn't entitled to her feeling the same way about him- it just hurt.

Pushing away the hallow feeling in his chest, Chat made his best effort to reform the grimace on his face into a passable smile. He had the experience from modeling that _almost_ made it seem like he was okay. Ladybug was giving him that look though- that softening in her eyes as she looked steadily back at him. He knew that she would be resolute in what she had just murmured, but that look in her eyes told him that she didn't mean to hurt him… and it made the ball around his vocal cords tighten just a little more.

"Oh," he finally managed to croak out, "That's- it's alright m'lady. I just wanted you to know- I mean, I couldn't keep my feelings to myself any longer. I- I'm glad that you know a-and that I know now too." His composure was slipping; the hallow feeling in his chest was becoming more prominent and more painful. Looking at her standing across from him, her silhouette back lit by the moon, Paris spread out around them… it was too much from him to see her now and to yearn for her the way that he did.

Chat knew that he needed to get away quickly- he didn't want her to see how much this affected him- he didn't want her to ever know how much his heart ached from her. "You'll" the words stuck in his throat, "you'll still be my friend, won't you m'lady? I-I don't want this to change anything between us…"

"Of course, you silly cat. You're one of my best friends." Her low murmured words were enough to pull a small, tired smile onto his lips. "I don't want to ever lose you, Chat."

He was able to pull together whatever composure he had left and bowed charmingly. "Then you never shall." The words rang true in his own mind- he would never be able to leave his Lady; she was one of his best, and only, friends. If that was all she would ever want from him, he would gladly stay and be her friend. "I fear I must take my leave for the night. My kwami must be hungry a-and I should go find him something to e-eat."

At her hesitant nod, they both said farewell and Chat took off. He wasn't sure where he was going- the ache in his chest was getting worse and the tight ball in his throat was beginning to grow once more. His mind was blissfully blank as he pounced and leaped himself across the city. It wasn't until his vision began to blur that the young super hero dropped gracefully from the sky into an empty alley way.

His steps were slow- his hand ghosting across the wall of the building next to him in case his legs gave way- he made it to the other side of the large, green dumpster before leaning his back against the wall and sliding down. His shoulders caved in around him as he buried his head into his two clawed hands resting between his bent knees.

And he cried. Chat heaved air around the ball rising ever higher in his throat. Great sobs wracked through his body and escaped past his trembling mouth. He felt the pain now. The pain that he knew was possible- the pain that he had feared.

As he cried and let the pain have him, just for the moment- he thought about all of the plans that he had made. Tonight was the night that Chat had been working up to for months now. He knew that he liked his Lady from the very beginning, but slowly he came to really _love_ her- and tonight had been his night to tell her.

 _"Oh Chat… I like someone else."_

He knew it was an option. He knew that she had a life outside of their partnership. He knew that she was amazing and that surely he wasn't the only one to see that. But- he had hoped. Hoped that she had felt the same way- or that she _could_ feel the same way. It was the hope that hurt the worst. The buildup of so many "maybes" and "what ifs" that found him alone in an alleyway feeling as though his chest were torn open.

He couldn't resent her for it though; he'd never resent her for telling him the truth. He just- he just needed time to _feel_ the hurt and then he could work on moving past it. He just needed a few moments to mourn what he had been hoping for.

Thoughts chased themselves around his mind like a cat and mouse. He was stuck on a loop of heartbreak and pain. It wasn't until a loud gasp cut through the night that he even remembered that other people existed.

"C-Chat Noir?" His heart plummeted as his head snapped up to meet the intense bluebell eyes of his classmate, Marinette. Of course, she didn't know that they were classmates- no, to her he was just a super hero who saved Paris.

"P-princess?" The word escaped half choked out and broken as his eyes welled with tears once more. "What- what are you doing out this late? Y-you should be home." It was hard to force the sentence out- he sounded pathetic to his own ears, so he could only imagine what he must look like to Marinette. Sweet Marinette, one of his only true friends at school even if she had a hard time talking to him- he may be in pain right now, but he had to make sure she got home.

The girl in question made now reply as she slowly made her way over to the blonde boy. Her eyes were filled with worry as she kneeled in front of him and gently brushed the bangs from in front of his eyes. "Oh Kitty, I am home- you're outside of my parents bakery- I heard a noise down here a-and I wanted to make sure everything- that no one was-" Her words broke off as tears welled up in her own eyes; lunging forward, the bluenette wrapped her arms around him and brought his head to her chest.

Chat stiffened for a few moments- he wasn't used to being this physically close to anyone- but as soon as the shock wore off, his arms snaked their way out around her back, clutching her back just as fiercely as she was holding him, and then he cried.

He cried harder than he had when he had been alone. Something about the soft, caring reassurances that Marinette was murmuring against his hair, about how it would be alright, broke him to a point that he'd never been before. He couldn't even remember being this upset when his mom had disappeared.

Chat focused on the beating of Marinette's heart- he could hear its steady rhythm pulsing beneath the sound of his own wails- it was soothing. So were her hands. One was on the back of his head, petting the hair down as she continued her murmurs. The other was gripping behind his shoulder, strong and sturdy and unmoving- it grounded him. He realized how tightly he was gripping around her back and how she was on her knees in front of him with his head still resting on her chest, listening to her heartbeat and the soft tones of her voice. Idly, he wondered if she was uncomfortable; being on your knees in an alley way couldn't be the most luxurious position- even his butt was beginning to feel the cold, rocky surface.

His grip loosened. How long had he been here? How long ago had Marinette come upon him? Chat had no idea. A small bubble of shame was beginning to work its way next to the hollow, empty feeling in his chest. He shouldn't have been so careless with where he had ended up- he should have found somewhere that a civilian wouldn't have found him. He shouldn't have been caught crying- no one was supposed to see a hero like that.

"I'm sorry Princess," his words were heavy with despair, "I've kept you out long enough. Thank you for your kindness to this lowly alley chat." It couldn't hurt to throw in some word play- maybe if he did, she wouldn't look at him with eyes full of pity when she pulled away.

Her small chuckle was enough for him to lean back from her grasp. Those beautiful blue eyes were now dry and held only a lingering hint of worry- no pity to be found. He should have known, really, Marinette was far too caring for pity; she had been ever since he had first met her.

"You're more of a tom cat with the way your strut around, Chat," she declared with a playful glint in her eye. "And as I told you before, I'm home now- no need to worry about keeping me out late. Although, my parents may be asleep by this time- do you mind depositing me on the terrace? I'd hate to interrupt what little sleep they manage before waking up to get the bakery ready."

He was already nodding along to her request- how could he not? She'd spent so much time just being there for him… how does one really show their appreciation for that? No really; what was he supposed to do now? Now that he had calmed down, the pain in his chest was a dull ache- no one had ever comforted him the way that she had, and Chat didn't know what to say to her.

Silently, he stepped forward and scooped her into his arms. She was heavier than he anticipated, but he was still able to easily jump onto the dumpster and, upon spotting it, up to her flower filled balcony. Placing her gently upon her feet once more, he stood in silence, averting his eyes.

"Kitty," Her voice was laced with concern, "I-if you ever need to talk to someone, I mean, if you wanted to- I'm sure you have plenty of people to talk to… but if you need one more-," he felt her small hand under his chin as she directed him to look at her, "I'm here."

The sincerity in her gaze was enough to make his heart skip. It wasn't like the thuds against his rib cage that his Lady was able to produce, but this kind, caring girl in front of him had always been able to catch him off guard. Chat stared in wonder at her a few seconds more before lightly smiling. He knew Marinette was a good friend, he just hadn't been able to witness it as clearly while he was just Adrian. Perhaps, this was an opportunity for him to really get to know her better without all of the stutters and awkwardness.

"You're kindness astounds me Princess; you are true royalty through and through. How can I paw-sibly pass up on an open invitation to _chat_ with someone as wonderful as thee?" He swelled with pride as she rolled her eyes towards his puns, not because she was unamused, but because Chat could see the small, flustered blush spread across her cheekbones.

It was at that moment, that his miraculous beeped signaling a tired out Plagg; underneath the mask, Adrian couldn't blame him- the exhaustion of such an emotionally wracked day was enough to leave him dead on his feet.

"Ah, I must be off before I _litter_ -ally let the cat out of the bag." He pulled up enough of his Chat-like charm to grab her hand and place a soft kiss against her knuckles before backing his way up to the edge of her balcony. He saw her small wave, heard her "until next time Char Noir", and offered up his own small smile and "goodnight Princess", before once more heading out into the night.

The trip home was tiring- he was already so tired that each leap felt one hundred times harder. It was with great relief that Chat arrived at his open window, climbed silently into his room, and released his transformation.

He was already holding up a slice of Plagg's favorite cheese before the small cat kwami could open his mouth. His small partner's eyes gazed at him unsteadily as the two climbed into bed.

"How are you feeling, kid?" He murmured softly looking down from his position on Adrian's chest.

"Hurt- just… hurt." He felt so small in that moment- the room was too big, the house was too big, and his feelings were too big. "I think I just need some time though. I knew there was a possibility that she didn't feel the same- I had just been hoping…"

"It will be alright, Adrian; I know it hurts now, but at least you have good friends to help you out." His littlest friend nuzzled into the crook of his neck and Adrian could smell the pungent odor of the cheese, but right now it was more of a comfort and less of an annoyance.

"You're right Plagg, thank you for being here for me." He felt Plagg's nod as the two of them fell into silence. Sighing, Adrian thought of Marinette and how much of a comfort her embrace had been as well. Maybe he should get her a gift to thank her. Maybe he'd swing by tomorrow evening after school. Maybe he'd try and see if he could talk to her tomorrow _in_ school without bringing out her stammers.

Thinking about her kind eyes and soft features, Adrian thought that maybe being turned down by his Lady wasn't the worst thing- maybe it could be the start of something new.


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien awoke to his blaring alarm the next morning. He could feel the heaviness of his tired body as he tried to push the covers off of himself. His sluggish movements were enough to make him late for school, but his empty chest and brooding mind made it hard for him to care.

He sat in the back of his escort car, as the gorilla drove him to school, and stared longingly out into the streets of Paris. He wondered, for what felt like the millionth time, what his life would be like if he were a normal teenager- not one who was a famous model and not one who was a secret super hero. Would it be easier for him to find friends? Or find someone to love?

Up until he became Chat and met his Lady, he wasn't even sure if love existed. If Adrien thought really hard, he could almost remember his mother and her loving smile, but that was all he had known. His father was never around and his handlers saw him as a job. All his fans looked at him with were looks of adoration… none of them knew him. None of them knew the goofball who liked to crack bad puns and wanted nothing more than to be seen for more than his looks.

His friends were a different kind of love than what he felt for his Lady. They stood up for him and made him laugh- the few times that he would say a pun, Nino was the first to cringe and cuff him on the shoulder before laughing along with him. Alya was a surprise with her fiery temper and strong opinions- she was the first girl to really not be phased by the way he looked. Marinette- she was a bit of a strange case- so fierce and loyal, but sweet and shy. He wasn't sure what about himself made her so awkward- but as Chat, she didn't seem to be effected.

Thinking about it, Adrien's resolve solidified; he was making it his mission to figure it out and make Marinette more comfortable around him in his civilian form- he really wanted to see the girl from last night more often.

It was with this new goal that the hollowness in his chest was pushed to the side of his mind as he made his way from the car and into his school. Nino was waiting for him and only commented lightly about how Adrien looked like shit.

"Eh, it was nothing; I just couldn't sleep well last night." The lie rolled off his tongue easily- it was only the hundredth time that he'd uttered the same lame excuse since starting school and becoming Chat Noir, but at least it always seemed to appease his good friend.

"Did you have another photoshoot last night? Working and going to school must be rough, man, I couldn't imagine having such a tight schedule." His best friend gazed at him with his large brown eyes and Adrien felt bad once more for not being able to tell him the truth.

"No photoshoot, but I did have fencing." He shrugged, "I think it's just been a long week- and it's only Tuesday."

"Hey," Nino bumped his shoulder against his, "Cheer up; how about we make plans to hangout this weekend when you're free so that you can have something to really look forward to."

"I'd like that," and Adrien meant it. It would be nice to have something to look forward to this weekend. He supposed that he was slightly dreading the next patrol with Ladybug… so maybe a night of gaming would do him some good.

"Okay, cool; just let me know when you're free and we can set something up." He nodded at his friend's words as they entered their classroom. Due to the late time, most of the class was already in their seats and Adrien was able to catch Marinette's eyes before waving and taking his own seat.

He could hear a small "eep" escape the girl behind him, and was reminded of his plan to make her more comfortable. Turning in his seat as slowly and casually as he could, Adrien greeted his classmates.

"Good morning Alya, good morning Marinette." He smiled at both of them and noticed a deep blush working it's away across the latter's face.

"Morning Adrien," Alya smoothly responded before giving Nino a small kiss, "Morning babe." Adrien felt the ache in his chest as he wished to have someone to be able to kiss good morning to.

"M-morning Adrien!" The small bluenette managed to squeak out. "A-are you feeling o-okay? You look a little d-down." Whelp, that's better than she's normally able to get out. Why was she so nervous?

"Oh I-I'm fine… Just a bit tired today. I just stayed up a bit too late last night." As he spoke, he took a closer look at the girl in front of him. There were small bags under her eyes and he wondered how late he had actually kept her up. He hadn't exactly checked the time before crawling into bed.

"I-I-I know the feeling. Last night was pretty late for me t-too. You know, homework and all of that…" She trailed off and he noticed the distinctly sad look in her eyes. He didn't think that the look suited her at all. Maybe he really would stop by later with a thank you gift just so that she could see he was doing better and that she didn't need to worry or be sad for him.

"Yeah- yeah... homework." He agreed unsteadily. Before he could say anymore, their teacher called for attention at the front of the room.

The rest of school passed by with relative ease. At lunch, he was able to set up a time with Nino for this Saturday after his photoshoot. He was also able to talk with Marinette about her latest fashion project and she only stammered a few times before getting lost in the excitement of describing her newest skirt- he'd call that a win for the day as Adrien.

Now it was Chat Noir's turn to learn more about his friend.

Asking his driver to make a pit stop at the local florist had been embarrassing, but he knew that flowers were probably an appropriate gift to give. He picked out the biggest, brightest bouquet that the store had and purchased it without a second thought. Although he wasn't sure what would happen, Chat was excited to see how his friend would react to his alter-ego stopping in on her.

The press would have had a field day had anyone caught sight of him bounding through the air, flowers clutched tightly in one hand- he was sure the rumors about a secret love interest would spread faster than a wildfire. Luckily for him, no one seemed to be looking up that night as he sailed over the rooftops. In no time at all, he was landing with a soft _thump_ onto the small balcony above the bakery.

He could see the light leaking out from the windows as the teenage girl sat hunched over at her desk, feeding material into her sewing machine. She looked so confident and focused that it took him a moment before he could gather his courage and knock on the hatch door.

As soon as he did, though, the girl jolted from her seat in surprise and spun to face him with a hard look while sinking down into a defensive position. He was so shocked that this was her reaction that he backed up with his hands in the air. As soon as she recognized whom was at her door, however, she sheepishly made her way up and out onto the terrace with him.

"Hi Chat, you startled me!" She offered up a weak smile and crossed her arms across her stomach. "I didn't expect to see you again."

"Oh, but Princess! I wanted to repay your kindness from last night," he shifted nervously from one foot to the other before shoving the bouquet of flowers into her face, "these are for you!"

He watched as her face relaxed into a small surprised 'o' before splitting into a large, happy smile. "You shouldn't have, Kitty! They're beautiful." She said fondly as she took them from his hands and bent her nose to smell each different species.

"It's the least I could do. You really found me on a bad night last night and it meant a lot for you to help me through it." He murmured softly gazing at the way her eyes sparkled with joy.

"Well thank you, they really are beautiful." Chat had to bite his tongue against telling her that the flowers were nothing in comparison to her. It was something that would have slipped out easily around his Lady, but Marinette was not his Lady; she was his Princess and just a friend- he would reign in whatever flirtations he could for the sake of this friendship.

"Hey, Chat?" He heard her whisper.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Do you want to stay and talk for a bit? I mean, if you're not busy- I can get us some cookies and hot chocolate or something…" Chat smiled at the anxious look that she was sending him.

"That sounds great, Princess." He settled himself down onto the chaise couch where she indicated and waited as she disappeared back onto her room. It was a lovely fall evening- just chilly enough to warrant a sweater, but not too cold to be out doors. Briefly, Adrien wondered why she hadn't invited him in but then he remembered that he was technically still a stranger as Chat. Marinette didn't know anything about him and he could be anyone underneath this mask.

She returned quickly somehow able to carry two mugs of cocoa, a plate of chocolate chip cookies, and a light throw blanket all while smiling as though she'd won the lottery. His heart softly skipped a beat at the sight of her flushed face- Adrien had never seen her look so thoroughly happy or at ease before.

"Here- scoot," she ordered him as she carefully placed their drinks and snacks down on the table in front of them. She then spread the throw blanket wide open and draped it across both of their laps as she sat down, which made Chat's face heat up. "So, what do you want to talk about?" She asked tepidly before blowing on the surface of her drink.

"How about where you learned to be so paw-fully skilled in defensive stances." He let out a small chortle as her face lit up in embarrassment. "Oh yes, who knew my Princess had some claws?"

"I-I-I- my parents had me take a self-defense course when I was y-younger." Chat frowned as she stammered; he hadn't meant to make her nervous.

"Calm down Marinette, I was only paw-king fun. I'm actually pretty impressed at your reflexes." His continued puns earned him an eye roll and a nudge to the shoulder- hey, he'd gladly take it over the stammers.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, neither one really knowing what to say. Chat grabbed a cookie as casually as he could- the Dupain-Cheng baked goods were legendary in their school and so he was overly excited to have a full plate laid out before him. That first bite is always the best; soft and warm and deliciously balanced flavors exploded in his mouth.

"These are amazing," he gushed, "probably the best cookie that I've ever had." Marinette's face gleamed with pride.

"Thank you, I always love when people appreciate my parents baking." She took another sip of her cocoa. "Could you... Could you tell me something about your parents, Chat?" She must have seen the tightening of his expression as his stomach dropped, because she quickly tried to back pedal. "I mean- you don't have to! I was just curious- no one knows anything about you a-and I was hoping... I don't know. I was hoping that I could get to know you; that we could be kind of friends. Gah, it was dumb- I know how important it is for you to keep you identity secret..."

Marinette trailed off awkwardly, her eyes averted, staring at the steam rising up from her cup. Chat had to remind himself that she had no idea about how utterly fucked up his home life was and that she wasn't being purposefully mean.

"Heh," He started wryly, "how about we start with something a bit less personal?"

Her eyes trailed back up to meet his own once more and he could see the guilt radiating off of her. "Okay," she spoke barely over a whisper before continuing on more confidently, "Okay, so let's start with the basics… um, how about your favorite color?"

Letting out a loud chuckle, Chat responded, " _Paws_ down, it has to be blue- but not just any blue- the color is as vibrant as the deepest ocean." He was thinking of his Lady's eyes; he'd always loved the color that they darkened to in the middle of the night when he would see her on patrol with only the moonlight to see. Shaking his head and ignoring the ache in his chest, he forced himself to speak once more. "Let me g-guess, Princess; your favorite color is pink?" He ducked his head towards her bed room to indicate where his guess came from.

"Oh!" Her startled eyes flew to gaze at her room and laughed. "I guess that's a good estimated guess… but it's actually, um, emerald green."

"Huh, I really never would have guessed that…" He laughed, "My turn! What do you do for fun?"

Marinette's eyes lit up before speaking excitedly. "Designing and making my designs-oh and baking! Of course I like to play video games… I'm always up for hanging out with my friends- and oh! I like studying the new fashions!" Her voice cut out quickly. "Oh but listen to me, I'm rambling. I just get so excited!"

Chat laughed, "Oh I know." He agreed before realizing that he's not supposed to know, "I mean, I-I can tell; you were _paws_ -itively glowing talking about all of that. Who are some of your favorite designers?"

As she launched into an explanation of which designers she liked and why, Adrien was able to breathe a sigh of relief- she hadn't noticed his small slip up. He was going to have to really focus on what he says to her so that he doesn't give away his civilian self.

"Of course, the easiest inspiration that I can come up with is the Agreste line. One of my friends is the son of Gabriel Agreste and wares clothing from the line every day. It's really given me a different perspective on designing male clothing- I always used to be so bad at picking out what was trendy for men, but seeing Adrien dress in his father's line has really opened up my eyes on what works and what doesn't."

Chat had sat up and paid a bit more attention as the bluenette mentioned him and his father. Her face held a dreamy sort of expression and he was surprised that a clothing line could make her look so excited and loving. Shrugging it off, he decided not to pry anymore into what she thought about him as Adrien just yet- he was still half sure that she was afraid of him and he didn't want that knowledge confirmed quite yet.

"It's amazing that you're able to be around people that inspire you so much and that you're so passionate about what you love to do." He replied back to her instead before mumbling, "I wish that I had that sort of opportunity."

"What do you like to do, Chat?" Her quiet, earnest voice snapped him out of his own self-pity and he scoffed darkly before responding.

"Not what I'm forced to do, that's for sure." Her sapphire blue, questioning gaze urged him to continue on. "My civilian life is sort of… complicated." Waving a hand through the air, he tried to come up with a way of explaining it. "Everything that I do has been pre-arranged and decided on for me; my likes and dislikes aren't taken into account and it's… actually pretty suffocating."

He was on a roll now- "I spend every second striving to be as perfect as possible so that I can make life easier for my father and he hardly acknowledges my effort. I'm a teenager and I'm already expected to do work that I'm not even passionate about."

Chat sighed despondently, "I didn't even know how bad it actually was before I became Chat Noir. Being able to get out, feel some semblance of freedom, roam where ever I want to in the black of night... it's made me realize just how controlled I was. So I guess that's what I like to do- I like actually _choosing_ what I want to do."

He could see the surprise in her features and immediately felt awkward. Why did he keep doing things like this? He knew it was weird to see a super hero crying as he had been last night, and he could see how learning what he had just let slip could ruin his super hero appearance even further.

"Oh Kitty," Marinette slowly said as she put down her cup of hot chocolate, "That must be so tough... I-I never would have thought..." She grabbed his free hand and stared directly into his eyes, "If you ever need a place to go- just to get away- you're welcome here... We can do whatever you want!"

He smiled lightly and thanked her. In all truth, he felt very grateful- getting out at night was one of the easiest times for him to escape and people usually weren't up. To have someone so readily open her time up to him, to have a friend offer to do whatever he wanted to, well it was a really heartwarming feeling to have.

After a few moments of shared lopsided smiles, the two of the continued on to talk about a variety of topics. They talked about books they've read, movies that they liked, music that they both enjoyed- favorite foods, favorite subjects in schools, favorite places that they've been- everything that they could think of that wouldn't lead to Chat's identity.

Marinette talked about her designs, Chat talked about fighting akumas and where he went at night when he didn't have anywhere else to be, and neither one of them noticed that his hand was still comfortably clasped within her own. They both went to bed much later than usual that night, but as they sat in class the next day, falling asleep, they couldn't quite come to regret it.


	3. Chapter 3

Patrol used to be something that Chat would look forward to all week. He would sit in class and dream about flying from rooftop to rooftop under a moonlit sky with Ladybug's svelte form swinging along beside him. The freedom and joy that he felt went unmatched in his daytime life and he couldn't wait to see the brightness in his Lady's eyes as she would re-buff another one of his jokes.

Now, however, Adrien sat in his Literature class dreading that night's time that he would have to spend with her. It wasn't that he was angry with her, and it wasn't the fact that he was still hurting from her rejection- he could handle the pain of his heartbreak- but it was the fact that he wasn't sure how to act around her.

He'd always only been able to be himself in her presence- he'd flirt and joke and talk with her as freely as they'd been able to fly across the city. There were no filters- no worries about upsetting someone- nothing that he was worried would shatter her image of him... he had just been able to be who he wanted to be.

And it was selfish, he knew, that he didn't want to have to start worrying about what he said. Adrien didn't want to have to watch every word that he uttered, as if he were giving another interview to the press and worried that something he said could be taken out of context to impact his father- he didn't want to feel like his one place to be free had suddenly become just like every other facet of his life.

He was so distracted throughout the day that he didn't notice Nino's attempts to get him moving after class was let out for lunch. He was equally impervious to Alya and Chloe as they tried to get him up and moving. He could only focus on his utter fear and loneliness of losing the one safe space that he thought would be around forever.

"A-Adrien?" The small, stuttered voice was the only sound able to break through his own self-monologue and he swiveled his head around in shock at the empty classroom. Marinette had her small hand extended out towards him, a look of concern etched across her features.

Her proximity was too close- it reminded him of two nights prior, sitting under their shared blanket, finishing off the hot chocolate, and how he had reached up to brush her bangs behind her ear. It startled him how much he wanted to do that once more in this abandoned classroom.

Adrien jumped out of his seat and took a step away from her, ignoring the slight hurt that flashed across her face. They were friends and no matter what, he would not lose his composure to let her even _imagine_ that he was also Chat- he just couldn't do that to her. He needed to keep Adrien and Chat separate... he couldn't afford to let her know the truth.

"H-hey Marinette, is class over already? Wow, time sure did fly, didn't it? I-it's lunch hour, right? How a-about we go find Nino and Alya?" Yes, it was stuttered and clumsy, but Adrien hoped that she wouldn't call him out on it. Being Chat Noir, though, meant that he didn't have much luck.

"Are you a-alright Adrien? You didn't really seem all that focused today... and no one could break you out of what you had been thinking. I-I think we're all a little bit worried..." Marinette trailed off slowly, staring intently at him, and Adrien didn't know how to respond. If he had been Chat, had she asked the same question while they were alone two nights ago, he may have told her something akin to the truth- but there was no way he could do it as a civilian.

With shoulders shrugging in a wholly practiced nonchalance, he told her he was fine and that they should hurry to find their other friends before lunch was over. It was uneventful and Adrien spent the rest of the day in and out of dread.

He didn't spend anymore time listening to what he teacher was saying than he did that morning, but his thoughts were now split between worrying about what would happen between him and Ladybug that night and about how things would be between Marinette and Chat the next time that he visited.

It was probably one of his most anxiety- inducing days that he's ever had to endure. His Piano lesson after school went just as abysmally as classes, and the dinner that he ate alone at their massive table that night only served to push him further into his worried mind.

Plagg was no help, although he tried to be; the typical lines of 'just be yourself, kid' and 'the only way to know for sure is to go and see her' made his head ache from the pressure. He didn't want to be himself if it would only make things more awkward between them. What was he supposed to do? It was driving him crazy...

With 20 minutes left before their typical meeting time, Adrien called for Plagg to transform him and he slowly made his way towards his Lady. The trepidation had been sitting in his stomach all day and so, when he finally dropped smoothly onto their favorite rooftop meeting space, all he could do was stand and wait and stare out at the city until she showed up.

Chat didn't notice when Ladybug got there. He had been standing there, straining his hearing to catch exactly when she arrived, and he had still missed it. And so, she found him leaning against the rooftop ledge with, he assumed, a very embarrassing look upon his face. Before he could say anything, however, Ladybug just walked up calmly and leaned her arms against the edge next to him, close enough to just barely brush his arm with hers.

" Hey Chat?" She murmured softly and he felt his body stiffen with the tension.

"Yes, M'lady?" He couldn't help it- she would always be his Lady- she would always be his best friend and partner.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her words were low and cautious and he couldn't tell her. All he wanted was for things to go back to how they were.

"I- I'd rather we didn't, m'lady. Can- is it okay if we just go back to how we were?" Chat couldn't bring himself to face her, and Ladybug seemed to be having the same problem.

" If that's what you want Chaton."

And that's how it was. All of his worrying was for nothing. They spent the night flying over rooftops, checking out all areas that petty crime may have been happening, listening in the silence, and watching over civilians that were wondering around late at night.

Chat was able to be himself... mostly- he flirted halfheartedly, he made terrible puns (claw-some work M'lady!), and he was able to pretend that their last patrol didn't happen. He was able to convince himself for those 3 hours that the hollowness in his chest wasn't there- he could look at his Lady's smile and feel the warmth on his face and just enjoy being around her.

He was even able to sweep her hand up into his customary goodbye. His lips swiftly caressed the back of her knuckles and he had to hold back the yearning that he was once more feeling to place his lips on _any_ other part of her. Letting go swiftly, he called his farewell to her. He couldn't believe how easily it had been to pretend- maybe that was his curse- maybe he'd forever feel better in her company and then be forced to feel the pain when he left.

Because that was what was happening now. Now that Chat was no longer around her, he could feel the emptiness ten fold... and he couldn't breathe- it was suffocating! The loneliness was suffocating him again and the only place he could think of to go now was back the opposite way.

Changing direction from his home, where he had been heading originally, Chat flew back the other way as quickly as he could. Hopefully she would still be up- he wasn't sure what he would do if she wasn't... maybe just sit on her balcony for a few minutes until he calmed down.

Ah! There it was- he could see the light still on in the small room above the bakery- he was almost there. Chat stumbled as he landed and caught sight of Marinette sitting on her covers, knees drawn up- arms wrapped around them- with her head down, before he was able to lightly tap on her window.

His classmate's head snapped up, surprise once more in her eyes- eyes that were undeniably sad tonight- and he couldn't speak when his eyes met hers. She must have noticed that something was wrong because she quickly opened her skylight and popped out her head. He noticed that concern had replaced any of the sadness in her eyes.

"Are you okay Chat?" Her voice seemed far away, he couldn't focus anymore, he was vaguely aware that he might be hyperventilating. His legs were numb as her small hand pulled him forward and into her skylight onto her bed. He had to duck his head so that she could shut out the cold and then he was wrapped up once more into her arms, listening to the beating of her heart.

He didn't cry this time- all he felt was the numbness that came with loss. That feeling where you believed the happiness in your life had left, and you're not sure if it can ever be found again. Being near her had warmed him up when he could pretend- but now it was all just gone once again and he couldn't stand the thought of being alone.

They sat there, once more tangled up in a tight embrace, one falling apart and one trying her best to keep him together.

Chat was so grateful, it wasn't even funny. After all, he had spent so many nights alone in his bedroom- left un-comforted after his mother disappeared, after birthdays forgotten by his father, after difficult akuma attacks that had left him battered and bruised... he was so grateful to find that this girl- this wonderful friend from school- was willing to just sit in silence with him as he tried to heal.

Her small voice broke into his thoughts for the second time that day, "Do you want to talk about it?" The parallel of the question left him reeling for a moment.

"Not yet, Princess." His voice broke after not speaking for so long. "I will, but not right now. I just... don't want to be alone... if that's okay."

Her small nod was enough for him and Chat relaxed once more into her arms only to move once her head began to droop. He easily extracted himself from her loose grip, tucked her into the covers, shut off her lamp, and made his way silently back through her skylight to head back to his own bed.


	4. Chapter 4

Saturday felt like it took forever to come. After the unbelievable high and then low that Adrien suffered from his latest patrol, he had been really looking forward to his guys night with Nino. Now that the day had finally come, all he had left to do was to get through his scheduled photo shoot and then he'd be free for video games and relaxing. Only a few hours left; he could do it.

Or maybe he couldn't.

Adrien sat frustrated and angry as his wardrobe was changed for the 10th time that day. In the background, he could hear the photographer yelling about the set design and calling for various items to try and salvage the shoot. All he wanted to do was to grab some lunch because he was starving and hadn't eaten anything besides some grapefruit that morning.

Taking another sip of water to try and stave off his empty stomach, he slipped into the gray fitted suit pants, trim white button down shirt, and the purple vest that was being forced upon him. Adrien wasn't even sure what feel this shoot was trying to capture- business? Wedding? Formal? Casual? He couldn't tell you. Everything was so disorganized that he was sure nothing would really be good enough to run in a print add… but he was stuck here trying to make the best of it regardless.

Sometimes he really felt resentful towards his father and his father's brand- why couldn't they ever use a different model- why did it always have to be him? Couldn't he have a normal Saturday off to go and hang out with his friends? Why did his life have to be so full of strict diets, exercise, and being in front of a camera? Adrien was so sick of it- why couldn't he just be Chat all of the time?

No one forced Chat do to things that he didn't want to. No one was there to tell him what to eat and where to go and how to act.

"Yes! That's what I'm looking for!" The cry of the photographer broke through Adrien's inner turmoil. "No! Not the surprised face; the brooding, angry one that you had a moment ago!"

Oh, okay then. He could do that… He let his mind wander back to how unfair all of this was. He wasn't even really trying to model at this point- but the photographer was practically salivating over whatever expression came forth as Adrien thought about how unfair his life was. Well if that's what will get him out of here sooner, then so be it.

He sat through the next hour brooding over what he would do if he weren't forced to be a model for his father's company- changing positions, looking at the camera, staring at a wall- he'd gladly be anywhere than where he was at the moment.

When the photographer finally called a wrap on the shoot, Adrien bolted towards his dressing area and practically ripped off the clothing he was forced into, instead pulling on his more casual and comfortable clothing. Plagg floated around his head as Adrien mumbled to him about escaping quickly before anyone could force him into lunch or dinner.

Natalie and his body guard sat out near the front of the building, stoic and impassive as always- he felt so resentful to them sometimes too.

His Father's assistant checked her timetable, "It looks like you have a free evening. You father wanted me to make sure that you practiced your piano and got your homework done."

Adrien blanched. "But I asked you earlier this week to schedule time with my friend for tonight. I haven't been able to see him in weeks and we were going to have a- a guy's night." The utter indignation that he felt in that moment was almost over powering. If she didn't agree, well- he'd just sneak out anyway- he already promised Nino.

"Oh, well yes I do seem to remember that. I suppose that since your father is currently out of the country, it would be alright to have one evening off- as long as you take your homework and at least attempt to get some of it done." Her usually stern face, morphed into one that could almost pass as caring and Adrien was relieved to have her permission- he really didn't like having to sneak around.

"Deal. Is it alright if I stay the night? No one at home would even miss me being there." Really, he had to try- this may be the only time that he's lucky enough to have his father out of town and have Natalie in such an appeasing mood.

After some thought, the read head nodded. "I suppose that you have been doing well with all of your responsibilities- perhaps one night away with a friend will do you some good."

He hated that he'd had to go through such lengths to get a night off- didn't regular parents let their children go to sleepovers whenever they wanted to? Why did he have to be practically perfect in order to gain the right to be away from home for a night?

It was with these bitter thoughts that he was taken back to their home, packed up an overnight bag (and a whole wheel of cheese at Plagg's insistence), and was escorted towards his best friend's house.

Nino was the one to answer the door. Adrien had thought about texting him to ask if staying the night was okay, but decided that surprising him would be much better.

Holding up his bag and pillow, the blonde smiled and uttered and small, happy 'surprise!' before Nino punched his shoulder with a large grin on his face.

"Aw cool bro! You can stay the night this time?" Adrien was happy that his friend was as glad as he was, "That's so awesome- we'll have so much time to play games, man. I'm glad you could finally convince those guardians of yours." He added jokingly.

The two of them made their way up a set of carpeted stairs and into Nino's room as the boy called out to his mother to let her know that Adrien was there and that he would be staying the night. As they pushed their way into the dark room, Adrien was reminded just how much his friend liked music.

There were stacks and stacks of cd's, vinyl, and tapes along the edge of the room- one corner was set up with his laptop and a mixing station- vinyl cover art decorated the walls. His bed was pushed as far into the corner opposite the doorway and a medium sized tv was set up right next to it, complete with gaming systems and dual beanbag chairs on the floor in front of it.

It was packed and cramped, but Adrien loved how much you could just _tell_ that the room was lived in and loved. He didn't think that his bedroom would be able to say as much. The walls were nearly bare, the furniture all placed perfectly and left spotless, and the floors were all empty- he thought of it more as a cell than an a bedroom.

"Make yourself at home, man, and then we can grab some snacks and get started on this epic gaming night." Nino's large brown eyes shifted towards the bed to indicate that he could toss his bag there for now and so that's what Adrien did.

Together they made their way to the kitchen, gathered up drinks and snacks, and were promised to be called when the pizza got there. He wondered if life could get any better- he would be enjoying every last soda, sweet, and piece of pizza that he'd be allowed to eat and there was no way he would feel bad about it. Even if his nutritionist had a fit, he was going to just be a regular teen for the night.

And that's what they did. The hours slipped by them quickly in a mix of shouts, cries of despair, and victory signs as match after match they continued on. The pizza was delicious and the soda gave Adrien a delicious kick in energy whenever he started to feel tired. It wasn't until well past midnight when Nino turned to him with a serious expression.

"Hey man, we're buds right? Best buds?" Adrien nodded. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Again, Adrien nodded not quite sure where this was going. His brain was tired and jumping to conclusions about if Nino had somehow found out about him being Cha Noir. "Good," his friend continued on, "I just- I guess I've been worried this week. You don't really seem to, you know, be acting like yourself. A-and if there's something bothering you, I just want you to know you can talk to me about it."

That shocked him a bit; he knew that Nino cared, and he cared about him as well, but he never really expected his friend to notice how off he had been since the whole Ladybug thing happened. He felt his chest expand with the relatively new feeling of being cared about. First Marinette comforts Chat and no Nino was trying to do the same. He hesitated just a moment before replying.

"Thanks, man. I-I guess I haven't really been having a good week." His voice was low and his eyes strained in the dark to see his friend's face in the glow of the tv screen. "I s-sort of got rejected on Monday and I-I've been taking it pretty hard I guess."

"Oh bro, that blows. I didn't think that anyone would be able to turn you down- being a model and all." His voice cut off abruptly. "Wait, who was it even? I didn't know that you liked anyone- is it someone from our school?"

Adrien was already shaking his head- he couldn't exactly tell him that it was Ladybug and that she didn't know that he was famous model Adrien Agreste. "She's no one that you know- someone famous that I've had my eye on for a while now- and she… well she told me she likes someone else." His voice trailed off as his shoulders slumped in on himself again.

It was strange having this conversation in the dead of night with the pale blue light of the screen still flashing the start menu of their game. He could feel the ache in his chest- smaller now than it had been at the beginning of the week- but still there none the less. Nino clapped him on the shoulder sympathetically.

"Ouch- that's got to sting. I remember how nervous I was when trying to tell Marinette that I liked her- at least you had to balls to just go for it. Is there anything I can do to help?" Adrien was once more touched by his friend's ability to care for him. He could only imagine how hard this whole thing would be if he were left to suffer the heartache on his own.

He grabbed his bottle of soda and lifted it to his mouth before muttering, "You could let me win a match or two- I don't know how you can be so good at a game that you just got yesterday."

Nino laughed with him before nodding his head. "I've been playing it non-stop since the end of school on Friday. Alya's about ready to skin me if I don't answer another one of her texts." He laughed, "Thank god her and Marinette are at a sleepover so she's not bothering to text me now."

Adrien laughed as they started a new match. "A sleepover with Marinette, huh? I wonder what they're up to…" He began to think about his Princess and what they could possibly be talking about. Did Alya know that Chat Noir has been paying her best friend a few visits over the past week? Would Marinette be that loose-lipped about something like that? He wasn't sure.

Nino nudged him with his elbow before winking. "Ahh why so interested in Miss Marinette all of a sudden?" He paused to look over at his friend. "And why so red, my friend? I was only poking fun."

Adrien blanched at his friend's loud laughter. "Don't worry man, I won't say anything. If there's something there, then cool… if not, then that's cool too. You deserve to be able to figure that out on your own."

His thoughts ran around themselves in those late night hours as the two of them continued on playing until the sun poked its way above the horizon. Was there something there with him and Marinette? Friendship, right?

As sleep finally took the two of them, Adrien lay on his back staring at the ceiling thinking of his Lady and his Princess and what he was going to do.


	5. Chapter 5

After shirking all of his responsibilities on Sunday to catch up on his sleep, Adrien awoke on Monday morning feeling more rested than he had in weeks. They hadn't had an akuma attack for at least the past week and his father was still away on business so that meant that he could have a bit of breathing room (as long as it was alright with Nathalie). His sleepover with Nino had been just what he needed- a little guy time and some sugar was enough to help any broken heart- he had even started to wonder about Marinette and why she was recently always on his mind.

Was it just because he had been visiting her more frequently as Chat? Was he getting to know her better and just seeing how truly amazing she is? Why was he able to distinctly tell which laugh was hers in the crowded school hallways?

These questions kept his mind busy as he made his way, trying not to glance at her, towards their first class. Perhaps he'd have another opportunity to talk with her as Adrien today- somehow see if she can be more comfortable with him- try not to startle or scare her away… because as much as he was hesitant to admit it, he really enjoyed hanging out with Marinette- just the two of them- when she was comfortable and at ease. She had an aura around her that just seemed to draw him in and he wasn't sure what that meant, but he did know that he wanted to be around her more as both of his personalities.

It was with that mindset that he went about his day. He smiled and greeted her when she and Alya arrived, asked about her weekend when there was a reading break, and picked up the pencil that rolled from her desk underneath his chair- pretty much he was waiting for any and all excuses to get her to talk with him.

And, he was proud to say, that Marinette seemed to be responding well- of course she blushed and stammered a few times- but for the most part, she was able to keep her composure and even attempted a joke about her falling pencil ('my thoughts just seem to run away from me recently'). Admittedly not the best one liner, but accompanied with her small giggle it was enough to cause a small thump in his chest and a flutter in his stomach.

Adrien thought that it had been a great day- with great progress- but then the best opportunity to spend an unspecified amount of time with her was practically laid out before him on a silver platter.

"For our next assignment, you will have to work in pairs of two- your choice. It will be a creative writing piece. I want each partnership to create, write, and illustrate a children's story- you will have a few weeks to collaborate and complete the assignment before presenting it to your classmates." As his teacher had been talking, Adrien's mind had been thinking quickly- this was his chance! He had to do what he could to make sure that he and Marinette could spend time together as his civilian self.

As soon as the assignment was explained, the blonde boy spun around in his seat, eyes locking onto the startled bluenette, and asked as quickly as possible (without seeming creepy). "Marinette- ah, would you w-want to work on this project with me?"

Her bluebell eyes were wide as her face instantly started to flush- perhaps he should have thought this tactic through a bit more. "Uh- uhm I mean, I think we should let Alya and Nino work together," he shot a pleading look towards the brown eyes of his best friend and lowered his voice while leaning in towards the blushing teen, "Nino was telling me that they don't get to spend a lot of time with one another… and I thought you and I could w-work together and let them do their… thing?"

Oh, he was an idiot. How could he just ramble on like an idiot like that- she must think that he was crazy- she and Alya always do their projects together, the same with him and Nino. His best friend was giving him a knowing look as he, thankfully, turned toward his girlfriend and asked if she would do the assignment with him. The excited girl could only nod and then elbow her friend in the ribs hissing something about responding to him about his offer to work together.

"Eeep!" The small sound, released in a whoosh of breathe, was enough to turn his hopeful eyes back onto her intense blue ones. "O-of course Adrien. T-that sounds great!" With the smile that she gave him, he was almost able to forget his earlier embarrassment over rambling.

"Great! I'm sure that we'll be able to come up with a great _tail_ between the two of us!" He couldn't help but to throw the pun out there- no one caught it, but he was proud of it none the less. And what's better is that he was going to be able to spend time with his Princess- just the two of them- as his civilian self! He couldn't wait to see how she would act with him once he got her alone.

He let Nathalie know at lunch that he now had a team project to work on and that he would need some time off of lessons that week to work on it. Luckily, she seemed okay with him canceling his Chinese lesson that evening and so it was with fresh vigor and excitement that he went to ask Marinette is they could work together after school.

"O-of course I can work on it tonight!" She answered in surprise, "I honestly wasn't sure how your schedule would work… I-I know you're busy a lot… So, uh, yeah… ugh. T-tonight works for me!" Her flushed cheeks, covered by her hands in a halfhearted attempt to hide her embarrassment, were enough to make Adrien smile. He wished that she wouldn't get so flustered around him- he just couldn't figure out why she did.

They set up specifics- Marinette invited him over to her house and he subsequently offered to walk her home so that they could start right away. He wasn't going to pass up on a single second of progress that their friendship could make today. So it was with bated breath that Adrien spent the rest of the day half- listening to whatever was being taught.

He really shouldn't have been this excited. Marinette and he had hung out alone a few times before this, including that one embarrassing time that she'd kicked his butt at gaming. He was just hoping that today would go as smoothly as he was hoping and she would relax into the person that Chat had been getting to know.

The walk to her parent's bakery was painfully quiet and slow. Adrien was used to flying over rooftops to get there and wasn't used to walking at a normal pace. Neither one of them seemed to be able to start the conversation onto a topic that would last. He had commented about the weather- which quickly ran out of material and she had mentioned how nice it was that he wanted to give Alya and Nino time together- which made him clam up and rub his neck in embarrassment due to those not being his actual intentions.

All in all it was a relief when his eyes swept over the familiar balcony that he had come to associate with her calming presence. He let out a small breath, that he hadn't known he was holding, locked eyes once more on her shy blue ones, and the followed her in through the open bakery door.

The smell of baked good overwhelmed the two as they waked further into the bright, orderly store front. Adrien had always loved it in here- it was a home unlike anything that he had ever seen- full of so many delicious foods and people who loved each other. That was the about visiting the Dupain-Cheng household- you could always just _tell_ that they loved their daughter and she loved them back.

You wouldn't get that feeling when you visited the Agreste manor... it was far too big and far to empty to ever give off the warm, loving atmosphere that this building housed.

"Hello honey," Marinette's mother cooed as soon as she spotted them, "And hello once again Adrien. Would you two like some snacks while you work on your project?" The short, Asian woman shared his classmate's signature blue hair color and her face had that motherly quality of radiating comfort- he thought idly that she must be where Marinette got her kindness from.

"Thank you mama, I can grab us a few things before heading upstairs if that's okay." She placed a small kiss upon her mother's cheek before striding through the entryway into the back of the shop. Adrien flashed her a happy, thankful grin as he chased after the small figure.

He was just in time to see the girl in front of him greet her father with a kiss on the massive man's cheek- Adrien always forgot just how _big_ Marinette's father is- the teenager felt sufficiently dwarfed by the elder french man and he once more made a mental note not to wrong his family.

The giant baker gazed calculatingly at him before grinning and holding up a bag of chocolate chip cookies as a silent way of asking if they were good enough for snacks. Adrien eagerly nodded his head in agreement- he was already salivating thinking about how delicious they were last week and he couldn't wait to have some more.

"Thank you Papa," Marinette happily murmured as she hefted her school bag above her shoulder, lifter up two glasses of milk, and tried to take the cookies from her father.

"Here, please let me take those for you Mari." He insisted while stepping forward to collect the cookies and one of the glasses of milk. "Lead the way P-" Adrien had to cut himself off quickly before her could call her Princess. "P-please." He just barely stuttered out to cover his slip up.

Thankfully, she just beamed a smile at him, turned on her heel, and led the way up two flights of stairs to her bedroom.

"U-uh," Marinette turned towards him with an anxious glance, "Do you have to use the bathroom before heading upstairs? I-I mean there isn't one up there a-and it'd probably be easiest to go now..." She trailed off awkwardly, her face turning red, and her eyes kept darting up to her room's hatch uneasily.

Adrien was sometimes unobservant, but he wasn't dim; he could tell that she wanted a couple of minutes to probably tidy up her room before letting him in and so he easily agreed to use the bathroom, even though he had every intention to just stand around for a couple of minutes before joining her.

"G-great!" She stammered, "I-I'll be up there when you're ready!"

He watched as she sprinted up the stairwell with a small smile sliding its way across his features. He couldn't figure out why she was so nervous about him seeing her room, but he was willing to do anything to help her feel more relaxed. He listened to the rushed footfalls of the teen above him slow and then fade before he decided to head up after her.

"So- uh- have you thought about what we can do our project on at all?" Adrien ventured once they had seated themselves onto her couch while rubbing the back of his neck. He felt bad that he hadn't given much thought to it- he was much more interested in planning out how to get her to be comfortable around him instead of on the actual assignment.

"A-actually, I have! What do you think about a s-superhero themed comic?" She grinned at him, "I-I was thinking that we could make a story about a child who wants to be a superhero, but worries about not being brave enough." She trailed off as her eyes finally locked onto his wide, surprised gaze.

"D-do you like it?" Marinette's small voice broke into his thoughts and his eyes focused onto her unsure bright blue ones.

With a small nod, Adrien's face broke into a proud grin. "I love it! What if we made it into a duo team? And they worked together and found that they can be brave together...?" He trailed off slowly thinking about Chat and Ladybug... he thought about how he was only able to be as brave as he was because of her. He could feel his face flush with the image of his Lady in his mind- no, he was here with Marinette at the moment and needed to focus on her.

Her eyes brightened the longer he spoke and before long she was once more beaming at him. Adrien felt his heart give another small thump as he got lost in her excited eyes once more. But then the moment passed and the two of them started to plan out the characters and story line.

They spent well into the evening working in easy comradely (with a break for dinner provided by Marinette's parents) and were able to get everything laid out in a cohesive plan.

They talked and laughed and wrote bad jokes into the story line and before long, Adrien realized that she hadn't stuttered in hours and that he felt as at ease as he had when he was Chat. He couldn't believe what a great day they were able to have- he thanked whatever power there was looking out for him that he had this opportunity.

As the night finally came to a close- their cookies all eaten, school books once more packed away- the two of them laughing at Adrien's loud cackle laugh- he couldn't help but to gaze down on her warmly while she leaned against the door frame of the bakery. Had her eyes always glowed so brightly under the Paris moonlight? Had her smile ever been so beautiful? Had her laugh ever been so tinkling?

After waving goodbye to her (and behind her towards the two adults hiding behind the counter) these were the questions that plagued his mind on the walk back to his home. One thing he knew for certain was he couldn't wait until the next time he could be alone with Marinette.


	6. Chapter 6

The next day was when the akuma attacks began again. Adrien was sitting in his usual seat in the front row- he had just flashed a smile at Marinette when he could hear screams from the hallway. Everyone immediately jumped from their seats and rushed to see which new villain was causing mayhem in their school and Adrien tried to find a way to sneak off and become Chat Noir- he knew that he only had a few minutes before Ladybug would be there and need his help.

"I am Check Mate- for too long have I been made fun of for my love of chess- now, we will see how you all fare as pawns in _my_ game." Roared the akuma as she blasted open the door. Adrien could see that Hawkmoth had taken advantage of this victim and transformed her into a terrifying replica of a Queen Chess piece, complete with her own sword, which she was pointing towards her victims and turning them into varying other game pieces.

He saw a flash of light hit Ivan and watched in horror as his classmate grew into a rook before being sent after Rose. It seemed that this was a much more violent game of Chess, however, because if a piece was able to 'take' you, it would knock you unconscious. He flinched as a Bishop swung down and knocked Kim over his head- the crack against the hard floor was enough to get him into motion again- only he and Ladybug could fix this and help those attacked.

Dashing past his classmates, dodging a bolt of light from Check Mate, and diving into the boy's locker room, Adrien called for Plagg to transform him. Feeling the familiar chill as the magic spread over his body, Adrien stepped once more into the role of Chat Noir.

With claws and baton at the ready, the super hero exited the locker room to find the school in chaos. Everywhere he looked, Chat could see the effects of just how violent things had gotten, his friends were scattered- hiding where they could- and there were multiple transformed people hopping along trying to take out those who hadn't been caught yet.

He winced as he saw the blood that trickled from the temples of those who had been found- he had to end this quickly. Spinning around, he tried to deduce what way the akuma had gone but came up empty. His eye locked on Alya who was pointing out towards the entrance to the school, a worried look on her face; Nino was draped across her lap and Chat could see the goose egg, already turning a nasty shade of purple, which blossomed on his forehead.

He really had to get this one taken care of quickly- but first he had to draw the danger away from his friends and with one loud whistle and a taunt, Chat grabbed the attention of the chess pieces and ran for the freedom of the outside. As anticipated, the akumatized victims followed along behind him and he was glad that his friends were out of trouble for the moment.

It was with these thoughts that he barged through the double-door entrance and into the bright fall sunlight- it took a moment for his sight to clear, but when he could see again, he stopped dead in his tracks.

Laid out before him was Check Mate and a legion of faithful pawns, but they weren't what made him pause- no, it wasn't even the sight of Chloe spread out on the ground at the bottom of the concrete stairs- it was the sight of his small, blue haired friend rushing toward the fallen girl that gave him pause. It was the sight of Marinette dodging around rubble, her eyes glued onto her fallen classmate, not seeing the enchanted night as it galloped towards her.

His throat dried up- she was going to be hit hard- the night was moving too quickly- he couldn't get to her in time.

"Marinette!" The strangled shout was ripped from his throat before he could even think and he regretted it immediately. His friend's head snapped around as she paused just a second too long. Her big, beautiful blue eyes locked onto his shocked green ones and then she was struck in the back. Chat watched in horror as surprise flashed across her features before she was thrown down onto the stairs. He could hear the crack her skull made as it bounced off of one of the corners.

And then he was running. Dread filled every one of his steps as he made his way over to her. He could see the blood soaking into the concrete but he didn't want to believe it- he couldn't believe it- because if he thought logically, he would know that these were serious… it wasn't just a head wound- he had heard the crack- he just couldn't come to terms with it.

Everything around Chat melted away. He could no longer hear the screams of his classmates- he no longer cared about what Check Mate was yelling about getting his miraculous- all he could see was Marinette draped across the stairs- her distinct blue hair being tinged with vibrant red.

It was all his fault- he had called out to her- he had distracted her- he hadn't protected her. His Princess- the one who held him as his world broke around him- the one who loved chocolate chip cookies- the one who smiled at him like he was the most important person in the world. She- she had to be okay… he had to get to her and she would be okay- Chat couldn't stand it if she wasn't.

All around him were sounds of the continuing attack and he ignored them all as he hesitantly reached out a shaking hand towards the small, broken girl. Pushing back her bangs, Chat saw the wide, unseeing blue eyes of one of his best friends before dropping to his knees.

"No. No, no, no." He couldn't recognize his own voice. "Mari… Marinette… No…" He began gently shaking her shoulder. "Wake up… Wake up Mari… I need you to get up for me o-okay?"

She wasn't moving and he didn't know what to do. Would Miraculous Ladybug's healing save her? What if she was d-dead? No one had ever di-died before… could Ladybug save her?

He shook his head… he couldn't leave her- he should have been here sooner- Chat had to wake her up- k-keep her conscious. He was vaguely aware that he was crying now- the tears fell down onto her as he continued to try and shake her awake.

They were just getting to know each other! He was just starting to see how truly amazing she was- how could this happen! Why was life always so unfair! Everyone loved Marinette; she was the best person that he knew and he needed to make sure that she survived.

Choking on another sob, Chat leaned his head down to rest on the back of hers. He had seen her eyes- they were lifeless and unseeing- he knew that he was just delaying the inevitable, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe that she was actually gone.

A harder sob wracked through his body as that thought implanted itself in his mind: Marinette was gone- she was actually gone and it was his fault.

Adrien choked as a sob was ripped from his chest and he jerked awake. His mind was still burned with the image of a lifeless Marinette underneath his hands- his heart was beating wildly, frantically trying to understand how he had gotten from outside his school to inside his bed. He could feel the tears leaking down onto his bare chest which was heaving with his labored breathing.

"Kid- Kid are you okay?" Plagg was floating around his head trying to get him to talk. Adrien couldn't breathe- he needed to know if it was really just a dream- he needed to chase out whatever fears he still had lingering in his mind.

Jumping out of bed, he paced to the door- No! He couldn't have his driver take him to see her… it was the middle of the night. He paced to the bathroom- no time; he needed to see her soon or he would go crazy. He could call- no, she might not pick up- he needed real, tangible proof that she was okay.

"Kid- you're scaring me… just please sit down a-and we can talk this out." His black kawami pleaded with him.

"Plagg- I need to go see her… she has to be okay. I-I need- transform me!" Unable to get another word in, the kawami was sucked into the teen's ring and Chat Noir raced out into the night.

He could still feel her unresponsive body as he tried to wake her. He could still see the vibrant red soaking into the concrete and coating his hands. His heart beat thunderously in his chest as he vaulted his way across Paris- the only goal on his mind was to make undeniably sure that she was safe.

Chat raced even more quickly as the familiar balcony came into view and landed with much less grace than he ever had before. He didn't care how much noise he was making- Marinette was either here, tucked safe and warm in her bed, or she was in trouble. His eyes were frantic trying to see through the skylight window into her bed- trying to catch even a glimpse of her distinct hair but all he could see were blankets.

Giving up, he began tapping on the glass- softly at first, and then more urgently when he couldn't see anything move. Finally, after what seemed like ages, the blankets on her bed jerked as the girl buried under them was pulled from sleep.

Chat let out the biggest sigh of relief when he saw her sleep worn eyes flash up to meet his. She was okay!

"Chat?" The girl exclaimed before looking towards her digital alarm clock- shit, it was 2 in the morning, "What are you doing here?"

He could tell that she was aggravated; hell, he couldn't blame her… but she was alive and all he could feel was relief. He watched with joy as she opened the hatch and allowed him in. Without a single thought, Chat drew her into his arms in a tight embrace. He took a deep breath and could smell the overwhelming scent of baked goods and flowers that made up Marinette's unique fragrance.

"Chat… what's wrong? W-why are you crying?" He didn't know that he had been crying again… he was just so relieved to see her and smell her and hold her and hear her. All he could do in response was to clutch her to him just a bit tighter and release a shaky breath into the crook of her neck. Her small arms pulled him in close and she used the same soothing murmurs from that night in the alley to get him to calm down.

"I-" His voice cut off as he remembered her body draped across the concrete and then he tried again. "I-I had a dream that y-you were k-killed in an a-akuma attack… I-I distracted you a-and you hit the c-concrete steps a-and I couldn't s-save you." Her small, surprised exhale of air wrapped itself around his heart and caused the lump to rise in his throat again. He sobbed into her shoulder, clutching her tightly as though afraid that by letting her go, that she would be gone forever.

"Oh Chat, it's okay… I'm here- I'm safe- you're safe. It was just a bad dream…" Her voice seemed strangled with emotion as well and he couldn't bring himself to pull away from her just yet. He just needed a few more minutes of drowning himself in her presence before the world would feel okay again.

Marinette allowed him to cling to her for as long as he needed to and afterwards, as his heart rate finally went back to normal and his eyes began to droop, all he could feel was relief that it had all been a dream. This girl in front of his- with her bedhead and tired eyes and soft smile- she was so important and he wouldn't know what he would do if anything happened to her.

"I'm sorry for barging in like that Purr-incess…" His eyes trailed along the contours of her face and he had to hold back the urge to caress her cheek. "I-I think it's time for me to let you sleep though." As much as he wasn't looking forward to going back to his empty room, he knew that he couldn't stay here.

"Chat… I just- I wanted to say thank you for being so worried about m-me." He could just barely distinguish the light flush of her cheeks as she fiddled with the hem of her blanket.

"I-I'll always do my best to p-protect you Princess," He made the vow without any hesitation, "I purr-omise."

He watched as a wry smile stretched across her lips before saying goodnight. Chat was just about to crawl back into the night before a sudden urge seized him- without saying a word, he quickly dipped back down, gently grabbed the back of her neck, and placed a single kiss in the middle of her forehead. He pulled back and waved before scrambling from her balcony onto the next building's rooftop, all the while thinking about the cute, surprised look on her face when he had pulled away.

"Are you sure you're alright now, kid?" Plagg asked him delicately as they settled themselves back into bed. The small kawami snuggled under his chin, lightly gripping his neck and nuzzling him.

"Yeah, it was just a really, really bad dream… I-" Adrien's voice cut off. "I think I'm in trouble with Marinette though… how can I keep her safe if just by being near me puts her in danger?" He didn't know how to explain the sense of dread that was once more filling his belly.

"You just do the best you can, Kid… Everything will work out in the end." Plagg's promise ringing in his ears was the only thing that helped him get back to sleep that night.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the week was unbearable. Adrien spent his nights either too restless to sleep or too plagued by nightmares to get any good rest, which meant that he was falling asleep during his lessons, off his usual game during his extracurricular activities, and down right on edge when ever he could sneak time to work on the literature project with Marinette.

Any sudden movement or loud sound or uneasy feeling had him jumping from his seat. Adrien felt like he was going crazy. Realistically, he knew that there was little to no chance that she would be put in danger, but for some reason he just couldn't help the protective urges that he felt for his friend- whatever he was feeling for her (he still couldn't quite put a name to it) had him tightly wound to a point where it was effecting every single aspect of his life.

On the other hand, anytime that he had found to sneak over to her house as Chat left him feeling relaxed and blissful- it was as though her very presence was the key to his sanity. Why was it that just watching her sew or complete homework or laugh could put him at such ease?

Those were the nights that he felt the best.

When he couldn't sneak over to see her, Adrien would just pace his room as the dread in his stomach twisted into a tight ball. He had just seen her earlier that day- she was fine- he knew that Marinette was safe- he still couldn't get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

"Hey- Adrien- You need to calm down, kid. You're no use to anyone running on no sleep." Plagg pleaded with him on Friday night. "Please, just please try and get some rest. You're meeting Marinette at the park in the morning to work on that project, right? It's almost midnight- will you please try and get some sleep?"

The teen continued his pacing for a few minutes contemplating what the small god had suggested. Eventually he slowed and turned to his smallest friend before nodding. He really was running on fumes and he could feel the itch of his over-tired eyes. Paris would be in trouble if he couldn't keep up his superhero duties. Shedding his clothes, Adrien made his way slowly towards the large empty bed and then crawled in.

Plagg flew around the room to switch off the lights before he squeezed his way in beside his chosen one and nuzzled the boy's cheek.

"Thanks buddy... I know I've been tweaking this week... do you think I'll ever snap out of it? Has this ever happened with other Noir's?" Adrien's small voice broke through the silence of the cavernous room. He could feel a small twitch from the small being that could have passed for a shrug.

"Most of my chosen's haven't had this issue before. Either they were so enamored with their Ladybug or else they were married to the civilian and were able to watch out for them most, if not all, of the time." A small huff of air breezed onto his neck before Plagg continued, "I'm just hoping that your anxiety over it lessens with some time..."

"Yeah... me too... Maybe you're right and I should just get some sleep and see how it feels tomorrow at the park." The young man snuggled farther into his bed and tried not to think about if he'd have another nightmare or not. Instead, his thoughts trailed to the look of peaceful concentration that Marinette had when she was working on a new design, to the feeling of contentment that he felt as she hummed a tune, and to the way her eyes shone and glimmered in the starlight.

And before he knew it, morning had come and he was grumbling to Plagg about having to get up and moving for the day. Adrien had to admit that he did feel better getting a few hours worth of sleep without any interruptions- he had to consciously not think about the past weeks dreams- but he felt like he had a firmer grip on reality.

Of course Marinette wasn't in danger- there hadn't been an actual Akuma attack in weeks now- and if there was one soon, what were the odds that his friend would be caught up in the middle of it? He just had to let himself relax and everything would be fine.

It was with this freshly optimistic view that the model got himself ready, packed up his study supplies, and left to meet the bluenette at the park.

The weather was beautiful for a crisp fall morning- the sound of crunching leaves beneath his feet accompanied his short walk- the smell of coffee filtered out through a cafe's doorway as other pedestrians entered.

As he veered off into the park, all Adrien could think about was what a good day he was having- the best he's felt since that terrifying dream- and he couldn't help the small smile that worked it's way onto his lips as his eyes caught sight of the girl that he couldn't get out of his head.

She was hunched over her sketchbook. Her tongue was poking out a little bit as her eyes traced the pattern that her pencil was flowing across the page. Her hair shone in the uncharacteristically bright sunshine and his eyes traced the way her pigtail curved along her neck.

Adrien's breath caught as a thought occurred to him: Marinette was beautiful.

He had known that she was pretty- anyone with eyes knew that his classmate was pretty- and her personality only helped to enhance her pretty features... for some reason he just hadn't looked closer. But here she was... and she was stunning. How had he missed it before?

As if by some connecting force alerting her to his presence, Marinette's head snapped up and her astonishingly blue eyes locked onto his own and he was irrevocably drawn to her.

Adrien's legs moved him forward slowly as he dazedly gazed upon her- he watched as her face broke into a large grin, her eyes sparkling- and his heart skipped out of rhythm.

He couldn't believe that he had never seen her like this before. Even the way she stood up swiftly, clutching her sketches to her chest, and flipping a pigtail over her shoulder was appealing to him. Is this why he had been freaking out this week? Had he begun to see her as more than just one of his good friends?

With mind spinning, he tried his best to form a greeting, "H-hi Mari-"

The loud crash of a crumbling building cut off the words and his head whipped around to stare in shock as another blast ripped through a fountain.

Of course- the luck of a black cat- how could he have forgotten.

Without pausing to think, Adrien turned away from the destruction and grasped Marinette's hand which was hanging loosely by her side. The only thing he could focus on was finding a good spot, far enough away from the akuma, that he could hide her and that she would be safe.

"I- um- uh- I should probably get t-to the bakery so I-I can let my parents know I'm s-safe." He turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide and filled with panic- his stomach sank with the knowledge that she was scared- he vaguely thought that he needed to find a place to transform- Ladybug would be there soon.

"No." He couldn't let her wander the streets with an Akuma on the loose. Too dangerous. He wouldn't be there to protect her. He needed to find a place to hide her.

"W-what?" She looked so small, so uncertain. He couldn't let her get hurt.

"It's too dangerous. You're always running off- I-I need to know you're safe." He felt the pull of her hand as she stopped. His steps stuttered and he nearly tripped over a tree root as he looked back at her incredulous face.

"Adrien- I'll be fine. It's not like this is the first attack that Paris has ever seen." Marinette's hand slipped through his fingers just as her safety slipped out of his grasp. She wasn't going to listen to him and she wasn't going to let him find her a safe place. "I-I need to go Adrien- I'm sorry!"

He watched her retreating form as she ran off towards the ensuing battle and his mind flashed back to the image of his nightmare. If she wasn't going to hide, then he had to make sure that the akuma didn't make it anywhere near her. He would just have to take it out before she was put into any actual danger.

Diving into a bank of bushes, Adrien called for Plagg to transform him and raced his way after his friend and towards the threat. He caught sight of the twin pig tails of the bluenette bobbing and weaving through the crowds of people fleeing the scene.

It was with a shock of anger that Chat noticed that the small girl was making he way not towards the bakery, but towards the collapsing building and danger. How was he supposed to protect her if she was actively putting herself into the thick of it?

His heart sank as the construction-themed akuma roared and swung his wrecking ball at another building... one that happened to be located above the alley that Marinette was currently dashing towards. Chat was already moving- his legs and lungs ached with the speed and ferocity at which he was making his way towards her- this was too similar to what he had dreamed. This was too much for him.

The large metal ball struck true- glass shattered and rained down- concrete broke apart as though it were wet sand- and Chat flung himself uselessly forwards just trying to get to her in time.

He saw Marinette stumble as her head shipped up towards the sound of the impact, eyes wide and mouth parted in shock, and then he was on her. Wrapping her small frame into the cocoon of his suit-protected arms, Chat used his momentum to propel them into the safety of the alley. He felt the sting of baseball sized concrete slamming into his back as he sheltered her below him.

Her sharp gasps of shock, as he continued to endure the pounding of the debris, kept him grounded. Each hit was getting more painful as the magic of the suit was wearing down but he couldn't move- he had to make sure that she was okay.

"Oh Chat," her eyes were steady on his and he noticed a small wince each new time something struck his back. He couldn't tell where the akuma had gone, but at least it seemed to move on from this block of buildings- maybe Ladybug had finally got here and was working on distracting it.

The pain was getting worse. The debris stopped falling. The dust filtered through the air in a large plume of smoke making it hard for him to breathe.

Slowly, Chat was able to push himself back up onto his feet; his back ached and walking was difficult but Marinette was safe- she was advancing towards him, tears in her eyes, and reaching out to try and steady him.

"Do you have _any_ idea what could have happened to you." The words hissed out of him as his anger finally surpassed his fear. "I _told_ you I was worried about you being hurt... and here you were running _toward_ the danger." Her mouth flapped uselessly as she tried to come up with something to say.

His voice came out in a low whine, "How am I supposed to keep you safe if you're working against me?" Her face was swimming in and out of focus- he could hear the screams of Paris' civilians fading into the distance- he was falling forward and everything went black.

"Kid!" A small voice broke into Adrien's mind. "Kid, you have to wake up- we have to get out of here-" He didn't want to wake up for school yet; he was so tired. "C'mon Adrien, please kid, we need to move!" The hissed words accompanied by a quick pinch on his cheek had him shooting up.

"Wha-?" Plagg flew up and covered Adrien's mouth before he could say anything else. Looking around the room, he noticed that he wasn't where he thought he should be. Wasn't he in an alley way? How did he get here? Where was here?

His mind was frantically trying to catch up with the pounding force of his heart. He needed to focus. He was on a couch- a familiar couch- not the one in his own room. What else? Pink- there was a lot of pink! Smell... it smelled like cookies and... bread! Marinette? Was he at the bakery?

Why was he sleeping at the bakery? Why wasn't he transformed? What had happened with the akuma? He flicked worried eyes towards his kwami- what was going on?

The small god swished his head back and forth, squinting his green eyes behind Adrien's head. When he turned to look, all he saw was Marinette's very occupied bed. Shit- he really needed to get out of here.

"Any energy to transform, buddy?" His whispered words felt like a knife in a balloon and his heart clenched in fear as the small cat shook his head in the negative. "Great... Okay, sneaking out it is."

Gathering as much courage, and steadying himself against the sudden wooziness of standing up, Adrien silently tip-toed towards the hatch that would lead down into the Dupain-Cheng household. A small snore from the bed behind him had his body freezing in an instant.

A few seconds later, he felt comfortable enough to creep his way down the steps and away from his sleeping classmate. Another terrifying 5 minutes of trying to navigate their home in the dark and Adrien made it out through the back door. Breathing in the cool night air, he took off in a sprint towards his home.

He couldn't sneak into the mansion and so had a very awkward time trying to explain to Nathalie why he was getting home at 3 in the morning. She gave him a stern look and decided against letting his father know anything about it as long as he didn't complain about being tired the next day- he happily agreed just for the fact that it got him into the safety of his own bedroom quicker.

Plagg flew out as soon as the door was shut tight and went straight to his cheese. Adrien tried to be patient, but his mind was still reeling trying to fill in the gaps from the alley way to Marinette's bedroom- he asked the kawami, calmly, what the hell happened.

"I'm sorry kid- I held the transformation as long as I could- those rocks took a lot out of me trying to keep you safe." Small flecks of cheese sprayed out around his words. "Didn't know you'd pass out- heard Ladybug take care of the akuma- she helped get you to Marinette's to rest. I really held it as long as I could... the girl was asleep by the time my powers let go so no one saw you." His green cat eyes connected morosely with his own. "I was worried about you kid- I didn't think you'd ever wake up."

Adrien walked over to his magical companion and scooped him up before bringing him to his cheek. "I was worried too Plagg... I guess I completely lost it today, huh? Some hero of Paris I am..." He couldn't help the shame that was working it's way up through his chest- he'd let down everyone today.

"No kid, you saved that girl today... I can't tell you anything more important that you could have done." Plagg poked a small appendage into the soft tissue of his cheek. "You ran on your instincts and you made the right call. I am so proud of you."

Adrien's chin wobbled as he suddenly found it hard to speak. He thought about Marinette and how frightened she had looked as the building came down around her- he thought about how beautiful she looked in the early morning rays of sun- and he thought about how thankful he was to be Chat, if only for the fact that he was able to be there to protect her today. He didn't think about what might have happened if he hadn't gotten to her in time.


	8. Chapter 8

He had to thank Marinette- that was the first thought that Adrien had when he woke up; he had to apologize to Ladybug- that was the second.

His joints creaked as the young superhero stretched and rolled onto his stomach. Slanted rays of early morning sun shone in through the oversized windows of the room and he eyed the intruding light with disdain. It was Sunday and Adrien felt like he could sleep the entire day away… but he had things that he needed to do.

He groaned. The ache in his back was still present and it popped loudly as the boy was finally able to move into an upright sitting position on the edge of the massive bed. Rubbing his stomach, as a yawn was ripped from his body, Adrien was immediately reminded of the bandages that he had discovered last night before bed- it appears that Marinette had done a bit of first aid while Chat had been passed out- he really needed to go thank her.

Sleeping away most of the past day had been just what he needed for his restless mind and he now had a firmer grip on what was happening to him. He was protective of Marinette… not just because she was an amazing friend but because he couldn't picture his life without her in it. Yesterday when the building had been coming down around her… he was so scared- so certain that she would be taken from him- and he couldn't handle that.

His blue-haired friend was precious to him in a way that he couldn't wrap his head around yet. Did he like her? It was highly probable. Could he love her? The thought scared him more than it should. Adrien had just gotten his heart broken by a woman that he's loved for the past year- could he risk letting himself feel it again for his beautiful, caring classmate?

Shaking the thoughts from his head, the teen slowly eased himself from the bed and hobbled into the bathroom to shower. After shedding his pajamas and the bandages, the warm water soothed the ache in his healing muscles and he stood there long enough for his hands to prune, thinking of nothing but the feel of the water against his skin.

It wasn't until he nudged Plagg awake that he was reminded of patrol with Ladybug tonight. The small god asked if he felt healed enough to manage and Adrien was thankful to be his chosen- the cat may complain and ask for cheese excessively, but it was times like this what he was sure Plagg cared for him.

Together they came up with a plan of action for the day. Breakfast- because Adrien hadn't eaten for nearly a full day, Chat would go visit Marinette- to thank her properly and see if she was alright, and then Plagg would recharge before the two of them went out to meet Ladybug.

He was nervous about seeing both of the women. Discovering that he may like Marinette scared him to a point where he wasn't sure how to act. Sure, she was one of his best friends, and yes, she was the kindest person that he knew… but who should pursue her? Would it make sense for Chat to? Dating a superhero would be complicated. What about Adrien? They were getting closer in his civilian form… what if she didn't want to date Adrien- come to think of it, he'd never really noticed her expressing interest in any of the boys in class.

Maybe he'd stop by and ask Nino about her while Plagg recharged before patrol. Adrien felt a bubble of shame form in his chest at the thought of patrol- not only had he left Ladybug to defeat the akuma by herself, but she also had to take him to a safe place after the battle. How could he ever ask her to forgive him?

With stomach grumbling, he made his way to the dining room. The house was quiet- every now and then he would see an employee flit about dragging a hamper of laundry or dusting off the art, but as per usual not one of them acknowledged him or spoke while working. He would never understand why his father kept such a rigid household- it was too cold, too unfeeling of an environment for someone to grow up in and he hated it.

Eating his pre-portioned meal, Adrien couldn't help but yearn for the serene feeling of comfort that he got anytime he was allowed into Marinette's home. That was what a real family should be- what a real home should feel like- not this silent, lonely hell that he'd been made to live in. Throwing his fork across the table with a frustrated growl, he stood up forcefully causing his chair to topple and the screech of wood on wood to echo into the emptiness around him.

It was time to leave. Adrien couldn't sit in the quiet any longer today- not when he had places that he could go that were full of life and sound and joy. Places that were full of people that cared for him… places where he felt wanted.

Bursting into his room with a new found energy and excitement to see his friends, Adrien called for Plagg to transform him and out the window they escaped. He watched the pedestrians below as he vaulted from rooftop to rooftop. Some were window shopping- others were unloading freight trucks- most were just out for a stroll to enjoy the beautiful Parisian morning. The wind whipped his face around the mask and Chat let out a chuckle of excitement- he loved this more than anything… being free to do what he pleased… being able to fly above the bustling streets below… it always made him feel alive.

Breathing heavily from the thrill, one corner of his pink mouth drawn up into an excited grin, Chat dropped seamlessly onto his Princess' balcony. The fall flowers that Marinette kept were vibrant reds and yellows and oranges that gave the impression of a mini sunset on her terrace.

"Chat!" The muffled cry from inside her room drew his attention off of the brightly colored plants. "Where have you been?" She was unlatching the entrance and climbing out quickly. "I-I woke up and you weren't here anymore." Her feet stumbled over the ledge in her haste and she tumbled into his arms, securing her own around his waist and burying her head into his chest. "I-I couldn't wake you up yest-yesterday and I was so worried."

Chat's clawed hand was carefully stroking the back of her head while the other gripped around the small of her back. "I'm okay Princess- no need to worry. I transformed back in the middle of the night and had to go home." His murmured words seemed to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. "I actually wanted to come and thank you for-for taking care of me yesterday; it seems like you're doing that a lot recently…"

Marinette's arms tightened around him a bit more before a small, choked sob reached his ears. "You silly cat- you're the one who saved _me_ yesterday… I should be thanking _you_."

Something tightened around his heart as it throbbed painfully- he had almost lost her. "Remind me to give you a lecture about finding a safe place to hide during akuma attacks later," he half-joked and pulled her back in close as she tried to pull away, "but for now… let's stay here a little while longer." Chat bent his head to the side and rested his nose into the crook of her neck- breathing in the smell of cookies and flowers, he released all of the negative thoughts from this morning about his home and focused on the feel of her breathing.

The two of them stood there for a few minutes longer before the loud gurgling of Chat's stomach broke them apart in peals of laughter. "Sorry Princess, I guess I didn't eat enough breakfast this morning." Her bemused expression cause a goofy grin to once more stretch across his own face.

"Well then Kitty, let's get you some pastries!" He let her giggling lead his way into her room. How had he ever not been entranced by the tinkling sound that passed her lips? How had the sway of her hips as she walked never hypnotized him each day he saw her in class? He longed to have her back in the safety of his arms where he knew nothing could get to her.

The morning passed quickly between the two of them. Marinette brought them pastries from down below and refused to let him pay ("It's the least I can do for yesterday Chat") which led to him having a serious conversation about how she was reckless running towards the battle ("I couldn't bear the thought of losing you"- to which she looked appropriately abashed and ashamed) which led to another mini cuddling session on her couch (Chat was _not_ purring- he was _not_ ) before they finally settled in to play some video games (in which she utterly destroyed him and his smile couldn't have been wider).

He wanted to ask her so many things. Things that had to do with him and her and going on a date. He wanted to ask if she liked anyone- if she maybe liked him a bit- because it felt like what was going on today was more than just what friends would do. He wanted to ask if she liked going out for dinner or if she preferred to go see a movie instead. Perhaps ice cream in the park?

He wanted to ask all of these and more, but each time the words would get stuck on his tongue. He'd say her name and look into her eyes and then he'd be stuck. Chat hadn't blushed this much since that night a few weeks ago trying to tell Ladybug how he felt but, as another flush went up his neck and onto his cheeks, he _still_ couldn't get the words out. And he was frustrated about it.

Maybe he was stalling- talking to Nino had been in his plans for the day and maybe he was just waiting until he got some sort of sign from his friend that it was okay. Maybe he was just scared. It would make more sense for Adrien to pursue her instead of Chat. Adrien could take her to dinner and movies and talk to her in school… Chat couldn't do any of that. Chat would have to be a secret and that didn't sit well with him.

He caught her eyes once more as they stood back outside on her balcony- he had told her he needed to recharge his powers before a patrol that night- and her eyes held him rooted to the spot.

Was she getting closer? Why were her eyes shining with such mischief and what was that cute little curl that her pink lips were doing? Had-had he ever seen Marinette look so positively confident? Chat felt the air stop as his lungs froze in shock because there were her lips softly brushing across his cheek- her breath tickling the sensitive skin- and then she was gone, leaving only the tingling sensation racing directly to his heart.

"Thank you again for yesterday, Chat. I'll see you around, yeah?" He nodded dumbly as his heart beat throbbed in his ears. Trying to wave as casually as possible, he turned and made his way quickly towards the alley nearest to Nino's house- he needed advice as soon as possible or else he might combust.

Thankfully, his friend's mother allowed the young teen inside and Adrien found Nino chilling out on one of the beanbag chairs in his room.

"Hey man, what's up?" His fiend shot him a confused glance away from his game as Adrien slumped down into the bag next to him with a loud sigh.

"You don't think it's strange if I like someone else so soon after getting rejected do you?" Whatever he had been planning to say, it wasn't that. He hadn't even realized that he was harboring that fear until he asked Nino the question- but now it was all he could focus on. Was it weird?

The other boy shrugged, "I guess it depends on who you like. If it's Chloe, then I'd say you have a problem." He shot him a disparaging look before replying.

"No man, it's not Chloe… I uh, I think it's Marinette…" He trailed off awkwardly, poking his index finger repeatedly into the bean bag and feeling the tiny foam balls shift around inside. "I've just been spending more time with her, you know, and she's kind of amazing…"

A loud chortle next to him had his head snapping over to meet excited brown eyes. Nino's expression was crinkled into a mix of joy and exasperation. "Of course it's Marinette," he murmured softly, "Alya's been calling it for months now."

Adrien let out a breath of tension. "So uh, does-does that mean that I might have a shot with her?" He waited as Nino's face froze and the silence between them stretched just a beat too long; his heart was doing summersaults in his chest and he couldn't get the blush on his cheeks to subside. Who knew that talking with your best friend about girls would be so hard?

Nino's fist shot out and connected lightly with his shoulder before the boy was once more laughing. "Dude." He breathed out and caught Adrien's eye. "Duude!" He said a bit more forcefully before a growl of impatience left his throat. "Marinette's had, like, _the_ biggest crush on you since day one."

And just like that, Adrien's world flipped.

Marinette had a crush on him? _Him?_ But… what? She was always running away… and stammering… and… blushing… oh my god, Marinette had a _crush_ on him! How hadn't he seen it before- was he really that oblivious? This explained _everything_.

"Dude, breathe!" Nino nudged his shoulder again. Adrien could feel the heat radiating off of his face as the muscles stretched tautly against his grin.

"She likes me… she likes me? Marinette likes me!" The warmth he felt shooting through his chest was unlike anything he had felt before. He thought back to her lips grazing his cheek earlier that afternoon. He imagined taking her for dates and holding her hand and feeling those lips against his. His entire body was pin pricked with anticipation as he turned excitedly towards his friend. "What should I do?"

Nino laughed long and loud. "Ask her out, bro. You'll see her tomorrow at school, right? Ask her to hang out after school and then take her on a date!"

Ask her on a date- he could do that- he could take her on a date as Adrien- she liked him- he could do this.

Laughing and feeling as weightless as a cloud, Adrien couldn't help the joy spreading through him. "Okay," he breathed, "Okay, I'll do it! But Nino, man, don't tell Alya- I want it to be a surprise. You've got to promise me man, no telling your girlfriend until after."

His friend grumbled, but accepted. "She's never going to let me live it down if she finds out that I knew and didn't tell her."

Adrien was okay with that.

They spent the rest of the afternoon sharing excited grins and planning out how he would ask her. Nino took a lot of shots at how oblivious Adrien was over the past year and Adrien spent a lot of time gushing about the time he's spent with her working on the project. He may have spent a bit too long waxing poetic about how beautiful she was before Nino threatened to duct tape his mouth shut.

Before he knew it, it was time to head home for dinner before meeting Ladybug for their patrol. He still wasn't looking forward to seeing her and having to apologize for yesterday's akuma, but, with the prospect of asking Marinette out for a date tomorrow after school, he could handle it.

They met at their usual rooftop meeting place. Chat landed with the grace and fluidity that cats are known for as Ladybug locked him into an intense stare.

"I uh- m'lady, I wanted to a-paw-logize for yesterday- I never meant for you to have to face that akuma by yourself." He mumbled awkwardly, shifting pebbles with the toe of his shoe. "Mari- you must have met her after the battle yesterday- she was in danger and I-I had to save her."

He couldn't keep his gaze on the lithe form of his partner- her eyes were boring into his and he couldn't help the flutter of his heart against his ribs- no, he was asking Mari out tomorrow. He needed to let these feelings go. Staring resolutely to the side, he waited for her response.

"Oh Chaton," She murmured, painfully close- he hadn't noticed her walking towards him- her hand found its way onto his cheek and he had to stop himself from leaning into the touch. He remembered Mari's lips against his cheek and a rush of cold washed through his body. "I could never fault you for saving a civilian. You did what you had to."

Chat shook his head and whispered a reply. "She's not just a civilian… she-she's my friend LB and I was so scared. I thought I had lost her."

Ladybug seemed surprised- at least that's what he thought- but she nodded along in sympathy. "Nothing wrong with being a scaredy-cat, especially if it's for the right reasons. It seems like you really care for this friend of yours…"

He was already nodding along in agreement. "She uh, she's been there for me a lot recently and I really do- I really care about her." He took a breath before walking over to the building ledge, leaning against it, and staring at the beginning of a Paris sunset. Chat could see the Eiffel Tower, off to his right, glinting back into his eyes.

"I've actually been thinking about uh, asking her on a date." He didn't know why he said it- maybe just so that he could keep the honesty going between them. Her choked inhale had him glancing towards where she was leaning next to him before he continued. "She amazing- really she is- but, enough about me… what do you say we start this patrol so we can get some sleep tonight?"

"I- Chat- I- uh," He looked at her curiously, his head tipping to one side. Her face was scrunched into a grimace of discomfort- when her eyes found his, they looked terrified. "Chaton, I have to tell you-"

Her words were cut off by a loud explosion off to the left. A loud voice rang out declaring its need for vengeance against those who are mean to baristas.

Chat turned to grin at his partner. "Hold that thought LB? Looks like we're in for a busy night after all." At her hesitant nod, the two of them took off towards the new akuma. He'd find out what she needed to say later- right now they had a job to do.

A job that took them hours to complete.

Both suffered multiple hot coffee burns and were quite irritable by the time the akuma was caught and purified. Ladybug tried to talk with him afterwards, but his miraculous was already down to two paw prints and he needed to head out.

"I'll catch you later LB, this superhero is in need of a long cat-nap after such a caffeine high!"

Her outstretched hand and anxious expression were lost to him as Chat bounded his way towards home. Plagg was grateful for the extra cheese that an excited Adrien let him devour and the two of them fell asleep almost immediately after crawling into bed.

Tomorrow- he was going to ask out Marinette tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

Adrien had a lot of ideas about how his day would go; the most prominent one was along the lines of school, ask Marinette out, happily rejoice, and take her for a walk while drinking hot chocolate and trying not to implode from happiness.

At least that was what he had been daydreaming about throughout his morning classes.

As the day lazily passed by at a speed that was much too slow for him, Adrien could feel the knot of nerves twist in his stomach- the last time that he had tried to tell a girl that he liked her, his heart had been squashed. He could still feel the ache in his chest when he thought about that night... but then his mind would drift to Marinette and her calm reassuring words and his heart would swell fuller than he ever imagined it could.

All he had to do was make it until the final bell- if only she wasn't making it so hard to wait. The first time that Adrien saw her that morning was like seeing the sun peek from behind the clouds on a rainy day- you knew the sun would come again, but you just aren't prepared for how much your eyes are drawn to it- you didn't realize until the rays dance along your skin that you had been missing their warmth.

It was like that all day for him. He would be trying to focus or walk to class or trying to listen to Nino and then there she was smiling and laughing and exuding the warmth that he had been craving. How had he never noticed any of this before? Had he been so wrapped up in Ladybug that he missed what was right in front of his face?

Her smiles kept him going though, (along with multiple nudges from Nino that kept his cheeks flamed with color) and before he knew it, the final bell was blaring throughout the halls and Adrien was quickly stuffing heavy textbooks away into his bag. The last, and biggest, book required a bit of maneuvering and rough shoves before he could zip it all closed.

And then he was moving. Out through the door- weaving around classmates in the hall- his eyes sweeping the area looking for the distinct pigtails of his affection. He spotted her just outside the doors into the courtyard standing with Alya and Nino and he then froze. His best friend gave him a subtle wink and a nod before he could force his legs to take him closer.

Have you ever felt one emotion so strongly that the rest of them fade away? That's what he was feeling now.

Nervous.

Adrien doubted that he had any reason to be nervous, but here he was with his stomach twisting, his heart hammering in his chest, and his legs felt like that had weights attached to them. His eyes locked on to Marinette's and her smile was the breath of air that he needed in order to greet them.

"Hey!" He uttered a bit too loudly. Alya nodded towards him as she slipped a hand into Nino's.

"Hello Adrien, how was your day of classes?" Marinette's sweet voice washed over him as a wave of longing crashed into his heart. Now- he was going to ask her now.

"It-it was good." He muttered quickly. "Listen, Mari, could I talk to you for a minute?" Adrien watched as her eyes widened fractionally and a small surprised sound escaped her lips. A flush was working itself onto both of their cheeks and he had just enough time to worry before Alya elbowed her fried slyly.

"We'll leave you to it then!" Nino shot him a look of encouragement as he squeezed his girlfriend's hand and pulled the grinning redhead away towards the sidewalk home.

"Call me later!" Alya commanded Marinette over her shoulder while flashing an excited grin back at them.

Adrien could feel his his nerves ease a bit as the girl before him stuttered out a timid "O-okay". He can do this. Marinette is his friend and he knows from Nino that she likes him. He can do this.

Turning back to gaze at the blushing girl beside him, he gathered all of his courage.

"Hey, uh, Marinette," Adrien rubbed a hand across the back of his neck to try and work some of the tension out. He noticed her hands clasped together around her waist as she chewed on her lip nervously- she must be feeling similar to him right? Both tentatively awaiting what he would say next. "Would you- would you like to go on a date with me tonight?"

Adrien cursed himself for faltering over the words- he wished that he could be Chat right now- he was always so smooth whenever he was transformed and some of that charisma would have been nice right about now.

The words seem to have shocked Marinette because she hadn't answered him yet. Her little pink lips were hanging open slightly and he had to physically pinch himself to stop from leaning towards them. Her eyes were round with surprise and her arms had dropped limply by her sides.

She was going to say yes as soon as her surprise wore off- he just had to keep telling himself that- Nino had told him that she has liked him since they first met- just please let her say something soon. Adrien could feel his heart hammering away the seconds and he couldn't help the fear that once more built up in his chest at her silence.

"Mari-" he started to say in a small whimper just as she shook her head to clear her clouded eyes.

"I-" The one syllable had him leaning towards her eagerly. "I can't Adrien... I'm sorry- I like someone else ."

Confusion.

Adrien was so sure- so sure- that she had liked him. Nino said that Alya had been trying to get them together for ages. Could he have missed his chance?

Marinette's eyes watered as her face crumpled and he lost the sun behind the clouds once more. Before he knew it she was running- running away from him with tears in her eyes- running away and he couldn't understand what had just happened.

He watched her go- is this what it feels like to have your heart shattered? Before with Ladybug he had felt it break. He had felt the hallow, unfeeling sadness that had gripped him. Now- now he couldn't tell you what he felt- everything was swirling around inside of him fighting for dominance on how he would react. His princess- Marinette- she had just left him here all alone when he was _so sure_ that they were going to spend that evening basking in the glow of a new relationship.

But now?

Now he felt embarrassment- indignation- anger. Adrien ignored the looks of students around him. He ignored the small paw placed over his heart where he knew Plagg was hiding out. He ignored everything until it was safe to duck into a secluded alley way and even then he ignored Plagg's words as he called on his transformation.

The power washed over him and, with a determination before unknown to him, Chat pounced onto the rooftops and took off for the little bakery that housed the answers he was looking for.

He let his fury take over in those few minutes. He wasn't even sure what he was so angry at- was it himself for convincing himself that something good was going to happen to him? Was is Nino for convincing him that he had a shot with Marinette? Was it Mari for turning him down? Probably all three.

He thunderously made his way onto the small balcony taking note that her flowers no longer looked like a sunset- instead they sat harshly against the backdrop of Paris, boldly challenging his own fiery mood.

And then his ear twitched- just catching a small muffled sob from inside of Marinette's room- and his fury drained from him in an instant. Who was he to get so angry at a girl that he cared for just because she turned down his offer for a date? He couldn't blame her for his own feelings of hope that he had been harboring.

Slowly- deliberately- Chat made his way over to her hatch and peered in. There was his princess- so precious to him- and she was curled up into a tight ball, clutching her pillow as though it were a life-raft. Hadn't she stumbled upon him in a similar situation weeks ago? Hadn't she taken the time to comfort him?

Chat wasn't sure what had made her so unhappy, but he knew that now was not the time for his own moping- now was the time to help her through whatever was going on. He raised a gloved hand and knocked.

"Wha- oh Chat!" The bluenette cried desperately as she moved to let him in. As soon as he maneuvered his way into her room, Marinette was clinging to him and crying.

"Shh, Princess- it's o-okay." He voice cracked slightly with his own misery. "Wha- what happened to upset you so much on this- on this beautiful day?" Marinette let out a cry so heart wrenching that it made Chat want to hurt himself for causing her such misery- however it was that he did it...

"C-Chat- I-" Her words were punctuated with sobs and her fingers dug into the leather on his chest. "I-I-I've liked a boy in-in my class for so-so long and to-today he asked me on a date!" His hands were caressing the back of her head and smoothing out her hair.

"That-that's a good thing, isn't it Princess?" His eyes were shut tight against the grimace of pain that shot through his heart when he felt the tiny shake of her head. God, this was hard.

"No-no I turn-turned him down, Chat..." Marinette leans back and peers up at him from beneath her lashes- her face was flushed and tears traced themselves down the contours of her cheeks.

"If-if you like him... Why would you-" Chat coughs around the thick feeling in his throat, "Why would you turn him down?" His voice was barely a whisper. His hands stilled on her back. He held his breath as she caught his eyes with her own, suddenly blazing, expression.

Nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

"Because I love _you_ , you oblivious cat." Marinette's voice was breathy and intense and it knocked Chat backwards onto his ass.

Stunned.

Really? Was he really turned down for himself? Had Marinette really turned down the most notable teen model in Paris because she _loved_ Chat? He was the embodiment of the black cat- could he really be this lucky?

"You-you love me?" Even Adrien could hear the hope laced within his words but now was not a time to be self-conscious. Now was a time of unbridled astonishment. Now he just needed her confirmation and he could make everything better- because if she was sad to have turned down a boy that she liked for a different one, then what could be better than finding out that they are one in the same?

"Yes." Her eyes had dried and her voice was filled with conviction. Marinette loved him. _Marinette_ loved _him_.

Adrien couldn't help the low chuckle that escaped his lips. "Well Princess! No need to be sad anymore- of course you don't know- how could you have known?" he hooked his index finger underneath her chin and smiled widely at her confused expression. "This is even better than I had planned! You love me- all of me- and you don't know! How could- Plagg! Release the transformation!"

The rush of power slipping from his body lit up the room in bright greens before he was able to get another good look at her. Of course she was surprised- who wouldn't be after finding out that one of her classmates was a superhero?

"Do you see now, Princess? This is perfect- there's no need to be sad- I'm okay! I purromise." He had wrapped her once more into his embrace and held onto her tightly. "I can't believe that I'm so lucky."

The tight fist pushing against his chest was the first indication that not everything was okay. The tears leaking down the beautiful angles of her face was the next. Finally, the choked sounds of her melodic voice talking to him was the last.

"Oh no. No, no no no." She wailed grasping at his forearms and her head bowed in agony. "Chat- Adrien- I- I've hurt you so much. This- this _whole_ mess is my fault." He was trying to get her to look at him. How could she be sad about this? This was great!

"No Mari- this is wonderful! I love you, too- don't you see?" He couldn't understand why she was flinching away from him at the words.

"You- you don't understand- how could you? I-I've caused you _so_ much pain- I" Marinette choked on another sob, "I have to tell-to tell you. Please- please don't hate me." Without looking at him, she scrambled off the side of the bed, lightly tripping on a stray shoe, and turned her back on him. Chat could see her shoulder shaking with renewed sobs as she wound her arms across her front protectively.

His eyes were trained on her, confusion littered throughout his expression, and she slowly looked over her shoulder to look him straight in his eyes. Blue met green and he was trapped. The pounding in him chest was like a stampede and he absently wondered how much more abuse it could take today.

"Tikki, transform me." The words are barely loud enough for Adrien to hear, but the accompanied bright flash of pink was enough to leave his mind reeling because instead of Marinette, Ladybug was now standing in the room with him.

"I-I don't- but you- and I- _why?_ " He couldn't keep up. Marinette is Ladybug. Ladybug turned Chat down. Marinette turned Adrien down. Marinette loves Chat? "How can you love Chat but turn him down? _Why?_ " He asked a second time trying his hardest to get his thoughts in order.

Ladybug's beautiful face was crumpled with so much pain as she turned to fix him with her most sincerely remorseful look. "Because I loved Adrien!" She practically wails. "I've loved him since that day in the rain and- and I had no idea how much Chat cared until I found him-you in the alley out-outside. And then- and then of course Chat is wonderful and we connected the more I got to know you. And then- you stupid, reckless cat- you _saved_ me and I was beyond myself with worry when you disappeared and I realized I loved Chat too."

Her arms were wrapped around her so tightly as though she could keep herself together just by the force of them. The words were still processing in Adrien's mind and he just couldn't believe the mess that they've found themselves in.

Maybe it was the push and pull of their respective lucks working against them- or maybe for them- or maybe this was how it needed to be. Maybe this was fate's idea of a practical joke. Both of them fell in love with each side- superhero and civilian- and they just couldn't be together until all of their secrets were out in the open.

Before he knew it, Adrien was laughing. Not the small chuckles that he was known to let out, but full blown, body-shaking laughter. Ladybug's face relaxed with her surprise as he stumbled over to gently pull her arms away from her body. He could feel the tears trace themselves down his cheek and he wasn't sure if they were from the laughter or if he was just that relieved.

His Lady- his Princess- Marinette- Ladybug- they were all the same person. He's been in love with the same person this whole time and she's loved him back! All of the heartbreak that they've gone through this past month had been worth it just so that he could feel this moment of utter clarity.

His arms wound around the small girl in front of him and he clutched her to him as though she were the most precious thing in the world and then she was laughing along with him. Between her giggles, her transformation was called off and Adrien reveled in the feel of her fabric clothing against his skin.

"All of this time- all of this time and you were right here." He whispered, his lips grazing against her neck. Adrien inhaled the calming scent of her. "I can't believe how _blind_ I've been."

Her answering giggle was enough to make his heart swell and repair itself within his chest. "We've both been blind, Mon Chatton." Her breathy words tickled the hairs around his ear and he shivered at the sensation. "Are- are you mad at me, kitty? I- I've hurt you- I've hurt us..."

"No- no Marinette- I could never be angry... I am _so_ glad that it's been you- all along it's just been you and me." He could feel the tension leak out from her body at his words.

"I'm so glad too." Adrien pulled back from her to gaze into those beautiful blue eyes that he's been yearning for the past year- they shown with the happiness that he knew was reflected back from his own towards her.

A quick look down to her slightly parted lips- back up to her eyes- and then they were kissing. Adrien didn't know who had started it, but the feel of soft caresses upon his own mouth kept him from thinking about it too hard. A few quick, timid pecks had him reeling- a hand wound up to rest on the side of her cheek, a tilt of his head, and then they were more desperate, more forceful. He gasped for breath and then dove back in lightly running his tongue along her bottom lip before she willingly opened and began her own exploring movements.

Loved.

The two teens had plenty of time later that night to work out what would happen from here on out. They would be able to talk about being partners, they would meet each others kawami's, Adrien would be able to confidently ask her to be his girlfriend, and they wouldn't even care that they stayed up all night talking. They would walk into school, hand in hand, and endure all of their classmate's questions and exclamations of approval. Both of their heads would droop to the side in exhaustion during lessons and their teachers would call them out on this behavior, but neither one of them could summon enough of themselves to feel bad about it.

If you were to ask, they would tell you that the night that they got together was the best night of their lives. They were loved- so loved- so fully loved and they couldn't have felt any luckier than they did wrapped up with each other and sharing their first real kiss.

Adrien couldn't find it within himself to be resentful of how their story played out. Yes, it was heart breaking and difficult and he wished that they had know each other sooner, but he and Marinette loved one another and that was the best outcome that he could ever have asked for.

 **Thank you all so much for following along with this story through to the end. I will soon be starting an american college AU featuring a blind date that neither one quite wants to end- the solution? An impromptu cross country road trip. The catch? Marinette doesn't know that her date, Adrien, is none other than world renown model Chat Noir. What escapades can a runaway model and freshly graduated fashion designer get up to with 3000 miles to themselves? Be sure to keep an eye out for it in the coming days. Much love, Aubrey**


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